Paramus Flower Business Spans 3
Generations
Sunday, May 29, 2011 Last updated: Sunday May 29, 2011, 12:45 PM
BY JOAN VERDON
STAFF WRITER
The Record
When Leonard Levy began working in the floral industry, all of the flowers sold in North
Jersey were grown locally, in greenhouses scattered around Bergen County. He saw the
business change in the 1960s, as jets began delivering flowers from California, and again
in the 1980s, with the growth of the floriculture industry in South America, and imports
from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. Now, Hillcrest Garden, the Paramus floral
distribution company founded by Levy’s father, Eric, in 1936, is adapting to industry
changes again as supermarkets are expanding their flower offerings and competing with
traditional flower shops.
CHRIS PEDOTA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Leonard Levy in Hillcrest Garden’s greenhouse in Paramus. Levy took over the floral
distribution company in the 1970s and recently stepped aside to let his son Eric take over.
Supplying retail florists remains the primary focus of the business, but the company has
been exploring new areas of distribution as flower-buying habits change. The company
expanded to a 53,000-square-foot facility, with a greenhouse and an 8,000-square-foot
cut-flower refrigerator on Century Road in Paramus in 1994.
Levy, 77, says he fell in love with the business of selling flowers in his first day on the
job, and plans to keep working until he’s 99. To prepare for the future, he and his sons
brought in a consultant to advise them on how to pave the way for the third generation of
Levys to take over the company.
Leonard Levy
Past president, chief "coach," Hillcrest Garden
His business: He expanded the wholesale flower distribution business founded by his
father in 1936 to one of the largest floral importers and wholesalers in the region. The
company now occupies a 53,000-square-foot building in Paramus and has 48 employees.
The company typically has as many as 200,000 stems in inventory each day.
His background: A member of the Class of 1951 at Park Ridge High School, he majored
in commercial floriculture at Rutgers University, graduating in 1955. He took over the
family business in the 1970s and recently stepped aside as president after working out a
succession plan with his sons. He is a past president of the Wholesale Florist and Florist
Suppliers Association and a member of the Society of American Florists and the
International Floral Distributors.
Levy stepped down as president, giving that title to his son Eric, 47. Another son Larry,
50, is in charge of buying for the company. Levy now calls himself head "coach," but he
remains active, calling accounts and selling flowers.
He spoke with The Record about industry trends, and why he can’t picture himself doing
anything "in lieu of flowers." (Interview edited and condensed for space.)
Q. How did your family get started in the flower business?
My father was working in a greenhouse in Brooklyn. Land became so valuable in
Brooklyn that they moved the greenhouse to Washington Township in the 1930s. He then
decided he was going to start a little business of his own and he rented some greenhouses
in Park Ridge. He wasn’t a good grower, but he could sell very well. So growers around
here said, "Eric, why don’t you give up the growing and start selling our products?"
Q. In the 1950s, when you started in the business, what was the most popular
flower?
It’s always been roses. Orchids also were popular. Maybe you remember Easters when
everybody wore a corsage. That tradition has completely died. Roses still are probably 20
percent to 30 percent of our sales. For the retail florist, his number one seller is still roses.
And for weddings, while hydrangeas and dendrobiums [a type of orchid] and other
flowers have come on stronger, roses are still very popular for weddings.
Q. Has the number of florist shops in Bergen County declined much over your years
in the business?
I would say they have declined by 10 percent to 15 percent. They have dwindled not so
much due to lack of business, but because other businesses have looked more attractive
[to landlords], who have said, ‘Hey, I need to put a Starbucks in your space.’
Q. Having flowers on sale in so many other places — supermarkets, produce stands
— does that hurt local flower shops? Does it get people in the habit of buying
flowers?
Ultimately it can help the retail florist. In Switzerland 70 percent of the population buys
flowers weekly; in the United States, only 15 percent of the population buys flowers
weekly.
We have a terrific marketing job to do to get more people to buy flowers weekly.
Q. How do you do that?
The supermarkets are making people flower-conscious. And when somebody needs
something with more service, they go to the retail florist. If they need something
designed, or delivered, with particular flowers, they go to the retail florist.
Q. How has the "in lieu of flowers" trend for funerals impacted florists?
The funeral business is slowly disappearing for the retail florist because of it. Fortunately
the retail florist is picking up more party and special-event business. But it is very sad
when you go to a funeral and see only five arrangements, or only one arrangement.
Instead of saying ‘in lieu of flowers’ the funeral home should say ‘Donations may be
made to’ or ‘Flowers are welcome. Donations may also be made to’. For me, when a
friend dies and they ask for a donation, I basically always send flowers. It does make it a
nicer atmosphere when you have some flowers. There are some terrific designers doing
beautiful funeral pieces.
Q. What’s the biggest issue facing the floral industry?
Right now we have a big issue with the government. It’s called the Andean Free Trade
Agreement. It allowed flowers from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru to come into
the United States tax free. It was done to let the Andean people grow more flowers
instead of drugs. That has expired and they are in the process of passing it again, but it’s
taking a long time. So we’re being charged 6 percent more for every flower that comes
into the United States. And fuel surcharges also are increasing costs.
Leonard Levy
Past president, chief "coach," Hillcrest Garden
His business: He expanded the wholesale flower distribution business founded by his
father in 1936 to one of the largest floral importers and wholesalers in the region. The
company now occupies a 53,000-square-foot building in Paramus and has 48 employees.
The company typically has as many as 200,000 stems in inventory each day.
His background: A member of the Class of 1951 at Park Ridge High School, he majored
in commercial floriculture at Rutgers University, graduating in 1955. He took over the
family business in the 1970s and recently stepped aside as president after working out a
succession plan with his sons. He is a past president of the Wholesale Florist and Florist
Suppliers Association and a member of the Society of American Florists and the
International Floral Distributors.
Paramus Flower Business Spans 3 Generations
Sunday, May 29, 2011 Last updated: Sunday May 29, 2011, 12:45 PM
BY JOAN VERDON
STAFF WRITER
The Record
When Leonard Levy began working in the floral industry, all of the flowers sold in North
Jersey were grown locally, in greenhouses scattered around Bergen County. He saw the
business change in the 1960s, as jets began delivering flowers from California, and again
in the 1980s, with the growth of the floriculture industry in South America, and imports
from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. Now, Hillcrest Garden, the Paramus floral
distribution company founded by Levy’s father, Eric, in 1936, is adapting to industry
changes again as supermarkets are expanding their flower offerings and competing with
traditional flower shops.
CHRIS PEDOTA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Leonard Levy in Hillcrest Garden’s greenhouse in Paramus. Levy took over the floral
distribution company in the 1970s and recently stepped aside to let his son Eric take over.
Supplying retail florists remains the primary focus of the business, but the company has
been exploring new areas of distribution as flower-buying habits change. The company
expanded to a 53,000-square-foot facility, with a greenhouse and an 8,000-square-foot
cut-flower refrigerator on Century Road in Paramus in 1994.
Levy, 77, says he fell in love with the business of selling flowers in his first day on the
job, and plans to keep working until he’s 99. To prepare for the future, he and his sons
brought in a consultant to advise them on how to pave the way for the third generation of
Levys to take over the company.
Leonard Levy
Past president, chief "coach," Hillcrest Garden
His business: He expanded the wholesale flower distribution business founded by his
father in 1936 to one of the largest floral importers and wholesalers in the region. The
company now occupies a 53,000-square-foot building in Paramus and has 48 employees.
The company typically has as many as 200,000 stems in inventory each day.
His background: A member of the Class of 1951 at Park Ridge High School, he majored
in commercial floriculture at Rutgers University, graduating in 1955. He took over the
family business in the 1970s and recently stepped aside as president after working out a
succession plan with his sons. He is a past president of the Wholesale Florist and Florist
Suppliers Association and a member of the Society of American Florists and the
International Floral Distributors.
Levy stepped down as president, giving that title to his son Eric, 47. Another son Larry,
50, is in charge of buying for the company. Levy now calls himself head "coach," but he
remains active, calling accounts and selling flowers.
He spoke with The Record about industry trends, and why he can’t picture himself doing
anything "in lieu of flowers." (Interview edited and condensed for space.)
Q. How did your family get started in the flower business?
My father was working in a greenhouse in Brooklyn. Land became so valuable in
Brooklyn that they moved the greenhouse to Washington Township in the 1930s. He then
decided he was going to start a little business of his own and he rented some greenhouses
in Park Ridge. He wasn’t a good grower, but he could sell very well. So growers around
here said, "Eric, why don’t you give up the growing and start selling our products?"
Q. In the 1950s, when you started in the business, what was the most popular
flower?
It’s always been roses. Orchids also were popular. Maybe you remember Easters when
everybody wore a corsage. That tradition has completely died. Roses still are probably 20
percent to 30 percent of our sales. For the retail florist, his number one seller is still roses.
And for weddings, while hydrangeas and dendrobiums [a type of orchid] and other
flowers have come on stronger, roses are still very popular for weddings.
Q. Has the number of florist shops in Bergen County declined much over your years
in the business?
I would say they have declined by 10 percent to 15 percent. They have dwindled not so
much due to lack of business, but because other businesses have looked more attractive
[to landlords], who have said, ‘Hey, I need to put a Starbucks in your space.’
Q. Having flowers on sale in so many other places — supermarkets, produce stands
— does that hurt local flower shops? Does it get people in the habit of buying flowers?
Ultimately it can help the retail florist. In Switzerland 70 percent of the population buys
flowers weekly; in the United States, only 15 percent of the population buys flowers weekly.
We have a terrific marketing job to do to get more people to buy flowers weekly.
Q. How do you do that?
The supermarkets are making people flower-conscious. And when somebody needs
something with more service, they go to the retail florist. If they need something
designed, or delivered, with particular flowers, they go to the retail florist.
Q. How has the "in lieu of flowers" trend for funerals impacted florists?
The funeral business is slowly disappearing for the retail florist because of it. Fortunately
the retail florist is picking up more party and special-event business. But it is very sad
when you go to a funeral and see only five arrangements, or only one arrangement.
Instead of saying ‘in lieu of flowers’ the funeral home should say ‘Donations may be
made to’ or ‘Flowers are welcome. Donations may also be made to’. For me, when a
friend dies and they ask for a donation, I basically always send flowers. It does make it a
nicer atmosphere when you have some flowers. There are some terrific designers doing
beautiful funeral pieces.
Q. What’s the biggest issue facing the floral industry?
Right now we have a big issue with the government. It’s called the Andean Free Trade
Agreement. It allowed flowers from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru to come into
the United States tax free. It was done to let the Andean people grow more flowers
instead of drugs. That has expired and they are in the process of passing it again, but it’s
taking a long time. So we’re being charged 6 percent more for every flower that comes
into the United States. And fuel surcharges also are increasing costs.
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